High School Never Ends
by 13BloodMoon13
Summary: It's been fourteen wars since the Fourth Ninja War, and Naruto and the other Konoha 12 have started families of their own. Now their children are the ones causing mass chaos at Hidden Leaf High. Set sixteen years after Shippuden. Rating may change.
1. High School Never Ends

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, merchandise, etc. If I did, I would be both a child prodigy and filthy stinking rich. Since I am neither of those two things, I'll just have to settle for writing fanfictions.**

**Please note that I will be writing a futuristic (God, I hate that word) story about the **_**children **_**of the following pairings:**

**SasuSaku**

**NaruHina**

**NejiTen**

**ItaOC (Yes, in my story, ITACHI LIVES!!! Take THAT, Kishimoto-senpai!)  
**

**And I might do a background character or two who are the offspring of ShikaTema.**

**The flaming of any of these pairings will result in me unleashing the hounds of Hell to kill you. : )**

**Also, I will attempt to put a line – or a dozen lines – of lyrics at the beginning of each chapter, just for fun. And the capital letters that show up every now and then (such as URURUR) stand for wherever the current location is. "UR" is "Uchiha Residence".**

* * *

_The whole damned world is just as obsessed  
With who's the best dressed and who's having sex  
Who's got the money, who gets the honeys  
Who's kinda cute and who's just a mess  
_

_  
And you still don't have the right look  
And you don't have the right friends  
Nothing changes but the faces, the names, and the trends_

_High School Never Ends…_

"Saiketsu! Get up now! You're gonna be late for school!"

_Go away…_

"Saiketsu! If you don't get up right now, so help me I will send your _father _in to deal with you!"

The dark-haired teen finally lifted her head from her pillow and yelled at her bedroom door, "He'll probably just grunt like a caveman until I get irritated enough to crawl out of bed!"

"Grunt like a caveman?"

Saiketsu jumped, startled, and sat bolt upright as she stared at her father, Uchiha Sasuke, sitting on the windowsill. He'd somehow opened, climbed through, and shut the window in a matter of seconds without making so much as a whisper of sound.

Worse yet, her father did not look happy… or rather, he didn't look as dispassionate as he usually did. No, Sasuke looked very, _very _mad.

_Oh crap…_

URURUR

Several swears, crashes, and what _sounded _like sword fights later, Sasuke came downstairs, not a hair out of place, looking as aloof as ever.

Behind him, a severely mauled Saiketsu, wearing torn pajamas and sporting several large lumps on her head, managed to stumble down the stairs without tripping and breaking her neck. Her older brother Hisoka and younger sister Yuuki snickered quietly as she half-fell into her seat at the table. Her mother Sakura shook her head disapprovingly as she made breakfast, while Mabui, the latest addition to the rapidly-growing family, gurgled and made other cute baby noises as she chewed on a little stuffed-kunai toy.

Sasuke reached down and swept the tiny two-year-old into his arms, a rare smile gracing his features as he twirled Mabui in a circle before placing her back on the ground to play with her toys. As soon as he was no longer touching the little baby, the smile vanished, gone to hibernate until the next time Mabui did something cute.

Then Sasuke went over to Sakura and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Yuuki blushed. Hisoka and Saiketsu made gagging noises. And Mabui continued to do cute baby things.

Both parents glared at their three oldest children, who quickly decided it was time to leave. Now.

* * *

Next door, Itachi's daughter, Shinbi, was giving her mother the same difficulty as the woman tried to get _her _daughter out of bed. Unfortunately, Shinbi's mother wasn't as heavily pregnant as Sakura, and was better able to grab her daughter's ankles and pull her off the bed. Shinbi, desperate for a little extra snoozing time, grabbed the sheets on her bed. Unfortunately, this only left her in a tangled heap on the floor of her room when the sheets came with her.

"Breakfast," her mother said crossly, "Now."

"Yes, ma'am," the lump of sheets on the floor said.

Shinbi pretended to try to wrestle out of the sheets until she heard her bedroom door close. Then she leapt up, pulled the covers back onto the bed, and crawled under them, falling asleep again in seconds.

URURUR

Five minutes later, someone threw cold water on Shinbi's face, causing her to sit up too fast and smack her forehead against the shelf on her headboard. **(A/N: Trust me, it hurts. Owie…)**

"Owww…" she groaned, "What'd you do that for?"

"Your mother told you to get up," her father said bluntly.

Shinbi's irritation faded very quickly into terror. Her father did _not _look happy, and it was probably due to the fact that he looked like _he'd _been dragged out of bed, too.

"I'm up!" she said, jumping out of bed and landing on the opposite side of the room from Itachi. **(A/N: Hey, good guy or not, Itachi-kun is pretty frightening when he's mad!)**

Her father gave her one last glare before stalking out of her bedroom and slamming the door shut.

Shinbi very wisely decided it was time to get ready for school.

* * *

It was much easier for Tenten to wake up her two daughters, Atsui and Kigai. The girls had always been light sleepers – taking after their father in that respect – and it usually didn't take more than a few light taps to each of their shoulders to wake them up.

Neji was already up and meditating outside, even though it was about fifty degrees below zero at the moment. He'd be back inside in time to see the two girls off to school.

In the meantime, Tenten busied herself by making breakfast and listening to the two sisters bicker over which clothes they should wear for their first day of school. So far, it sounded like Kigai was winning…

HRHRHR

"Give it back, that's mine!" Atsui yelled, swiping for her notebook as Kigai flitted out of reach.

"Catch me first!" Kigai taunted, jumping to the side as Atsui lunged again for the notebook.

Unfortunately for Kigai, she hadn't noticed her father standing to the side, watching the twins argue over school supplies and hairstyles. In one fluid movement, Neji had caught and twisted Kigai's arm behind her back, catching the other wrist with _his _free hand.

Kigai yelped and managed to break free, only to realize the notebook she'd been holding was suddenly in her father's hand. He waved it in her face a few times before giving it back to an all-too-smug Atsui, who promptly stuck her tongue out at Kigai.

Having been thoroughly defeated at her own game, Kigai skulked back to her room to grab her backpack, muttering random things about zombies and alien abductions.

* * *

Naruto and Hinata, who lived just two doors down from the Hyuuga residence, always let their children wake up on their own, since both girls regularly stayed up late. Besides, with a third child on the way – Lucky-Number-Three, Naruto called the soon-to-arrive baby, hoping this would be the little boy he could raise to be the second-best ninja around (after his dad, of course) – Hinata spent most of her time sleeping or lounging, and Naruto, in turn, spent every second he could with Hinata.

Naruto and Hinata were lounging on the couch, watching the morning news, when Ikoji and Tereya finally stumbled downstairs with ten minutes to eat, comb their hair, and brush their teeth. For Tereya that was no problem.

For Ikoji it felt like a race. A race she was sure to lose.

UZRUZRUZR

Ten minutes later, Tereya – perfectly dressed, fed, and hair-and-teeth-brushed – and Ikoji walked outside to catch the bus to school.

"Uhm, Ikoji?" Tereya asked cautiously.

"Yah, Terra?" Terra was Ikoji's nickname for her sister. She had called Tereya "Terra" ever since she found out Tereya liked to grow flowers.

"You forgot to tie your hair back."

"Oops. You got a hair band?"

Tereya resisted the urge to giggle as she sifted through her bookbag for a hair tie. When she found one, she tossed it over her shoulder at Ikoji, who somehow caught it while attempting to sleep-walk on the two-foot wide sidewalk.

"Ikoji?" Tereya asked again as she took another look at her sister's apparel for the day.

"Yes, Terra?" Ikoji asked, growing a little impatient now that her sleep-deprived mind was taking in the fact that it wasn't even _daybreak _yet. Not to mention the dew-covered front lawns they passed were all frozen over.

"Did you mean to wear your pajama top to school?"

"…Crap." Ikoji pawed through her book bag but could find no spare shirt. "A little help here?" she asked, giving Tereya her puppy face.

Tereya sighed and handed Ikoji a t-shirt (she'd had enough sense to know Ikoji would need one at some point, since she spent most of her time hanging out with the pranksters of the school).

Without thinking, Ikoji tore her pajama shirt off and yanked the t-shirt on. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the stares of several of the boys nearby. Those boys promptly passed out due to massive nosebleeds.

Tereya covered her face with one hand and dragged Ikoji away from the twitching males with the other. This was going to be a _long _school year…

* * *

Halfway on the other side of the city, a girl with deep purple hair and blue eyes exited out of her apartment room, locking the door with the slowness of a person lost in deep thought. She turned from the door, put the earpieces to her iPod in, and switched the music player on, flipping immediately to "Famous Last Words" by My Chemical Romance and singing quietly to the song as she walked to Hidden Leaf High School.

She was nearly halfway to school when she heard someone behind her call out, "Hey! You, with the purple hair! You deaf or something? I'm talking to you!"

The girl turned to see three girls walking up to her with the head high, long-strides walk that identified them as popular kids.

The girl in front, who had long black hair and a red streak in her bangs, stepped close to the other girl and said, "Take your earphones out, I'm talking to you. What's your name, loner?"

"Nodoka Kayou," the purple-haired girl responded, "And I can hear you with the earphones in. They're turned down low so I can hear cars or–"

"Yah, cool, whatever," the other girl said, "Anyway, I'm Ninkitori Hokorashii. It means 'popular' and 'arrogant'. I'm the popular girl in the Freshman class. Hey, what class are you in, anyway?"

"Sophomore," Nodoka answered, wishing Ninkitori would go away. The "popular" girl's voice was driving her up a wall, and ruining her music.

If Ninkitori was disheartened by Nodoka's seniority, she did a good job of hiding it. Instead of sulking, the younger girl went straight into another topic of conversation; Nodoka could tell by the look in her eyes that this was one Ninkitori was more fond of.

"Yah, you're right behind the Juniors, the class with that really _hot _Uchiha kid, Hisoka. He's _so _cute, but none of us girls have caught his attention, so he's got, like, _legions _of fangirls. All of the guys want to _be _him, and all the girls want to _do _him. Here's a picture from last year."

With that, Ninkitori whipped out a picture of the boy and held it in front of Nodoka's face.

Well, the girl had taste when it came to looks, Nodoka had to admit. Hisoka Uchiha was pretty cute, after all, but he also didn't look like he cared much for _anything_, least of all his "legions of fangirls", as Ninkitori had put it.

"Well?" Ninkitori squealed, "Cute, right? Too bad he's such a lone wolf."

"Yah," Nodoka aid, looking back at one of the other girls in Ninkitori's group, "That's _way _too bad."

The girl Nodoka looked at, the one with reddish-orange hair that darkened four times at the ends, had a glare on her face that seemed to intensify with each utterance of Hisoka's surname. Behind her, and on the other side of the street, Nodoka could see Hisoka and two other girls walking towards the group; the two girls were laughing as they pulled their friend along by the arms. Hisoka looked like he was being led to the slaughterhouse.

"Hi," the girl with the ponytail said, "I'm Yuuki Uchiha. These are my siblings, Saiketsu–" –the other girl waved her hand before grabbing her brother's arm again– "–and Hisoka. Those three already know us, probably, but I don't think you've attended Leaf High before. Have you?"

"No," Nodoka answered, "I moved here from Iwagakure at the end of last year. My name's Nodoka Kayou."

"Nice to meet you, Nodoka," Yuuki said, smiling at the other girl. Saiketsu and Hisoka didn't look like they'd heard anything.

"Yah," Ninkitori's snide voice cut in, "I was just telling her how totally _cute _Hisoka-kun is. Right, Hisoka-kun?"

"Hn."

"See?!" And Ninkitori tackled Hisoka, who yelled and tried to pry the girl off while his sisters took pictures with their cell phones. Nodoka seized her opportunity and slipped away as Ninkitori's friend cheered her on.

Behind the chaos, the other girl in Ninkitori's group watched Nodoka with eyes as cold as night, her face clouded with unreadable emotions.

* * *

Nodoka had barely gotten two blocks away from the fangirl attack when a voice called her again.

"Hey, Kayou!"

She turned to see the same fierce-looking girl from earlier walking up to her.

"What is it?" Nodoka asked, trying to read the expression on the other girl's face.

"The name's Aishi Haitsuchi," the girl said, "I'm in the Freshman class, even though I should be in yours. I've got a warning for you."

She stepped close, until she was almost standing on Nodoka's feet, and looked the other girl straight in the eye.

"Stay away from the Uchihas," Aishi growled, "They've got enemies, and I'd hate to see you get involved in any… accidents." Her eyes turned red when she finished her sentence, and Nodoka felt her spine go cold as she struggled to keep eye contact.

"I'll try to remember that," she finally said in an empty voice, "Thanks." And she turned her back on the girl and walked away.

Nodoka had walked three more blocks before she felt a hand on her shoulder. She froze, remembering the look and the warning Aishi had given her, and tried to remember how to defend herself in hand-to-hand combat.

"Relax," a male voice said, "You look like a deer in the headlights."

Nodoka looked at the boy next to her and was startled to find it was Hisoka, not a hair out of place and obviously entertained by something.

"Oh, hi," Nodoka said, looking away. She _thought _she heard Hisoka exhale the way someone does when they're trying not to laugh, but she wasn't sure.

"So, what'd you do to that redhead who stopped you?" he asked, "She looked ready to tear your throat out."

"I didn't do anything," Nodoka told the pavement, "She's probably just another rabid fangirl."

There was a long, unsteady pause, and then Hisoka dropped his hand from Nodoka's shoulder and said, "I can read lips, you know. She said we have enemies, and 'she'd hate to see you have an accident'. What was she talking about?"

"I don't know," Nodoka said, looking back up at him, "I'm new here, remember? If your family has enemies, you should know more about what she said than I do." She turned and walked away from him then, ignoring the sound of his footsteps behind her.

"Wait," he said, "Will you wait up a second?"

She didn't turn to look at him, and eventually his footsteps stopped and she was alone again.

* * *

_Period One – Pottery 1 _**/**_ Mrs. Yakimono_

"Why are we drawing in a pottery class?" Ikoji whined for the thousandth time.

"Because they haven't finished the new building for the pottery classes yet," Mrs. Yakimono answered shortly, "Now get to work."

"I can't even draw flowers!" Unfortunately for her teacher and classmates, Ikoji, like her father, did not know how to shut up, and preferred to continue whining until –

_WHACK_

"Ow!"

"Get to work, I said!"

"You threw a cup at me!"

– Until something like that happened. Tereya covered her face with her hands and tried to slide other her desk without anyone noticing.

* * *

_Period One – Spanish 1 _**/ **_Mr. Uchisoto_

"Cat is _la gay-tay_."

"La _gata_, Saiketsu. La _gata_."

"Yah, what you said."

Mr. Uchisoto's head slammed down on the podium where he was taking role with a hollow _thwack_.

"Hisoka," the teacher said, his head still on the podium, "Please tell us what the word for _always _is."

"_Siempre_," Hisoka said, yawning halfway through the word.

"Thank you. Nodoka Kayou, please… Oh, you're a new student, eh?" Mr. Uchisoto's head came off his podium as he looked at the purple-haired student in the very back of the room. "Very well, please show us your skill level by saying the following sentence in Spanish: _I would like go to the party._"

All of the students turned to look at Nodoka as she said in perfect Spanish, "_Me gustaría voy a la fiesta_."

The classroom was silent for a moment, and then Mr. Uchisoto cleared his throat and said, "Very well done, Ms. Kayou." The students turned to face the front of the classroom again, whispering as they did so. Hisoka's gaze lingered on Nodoka for a second, and then he turned around as well.

* * *

_Period Two – Algebra 1 _**/ **_Ms. Keisuu_

"_God_, I hate math," Atsui groaned against the polished wood of her desk, "It's not even that I'm _bad _at it… It's just _so _boring…"

Well, Kigai couldn't disagree with her sister there. Math was the one subject that both sisters despised with a passion. It was also the one subject that they were both genuinely skilled at – all of the others were simply easy for them to go along with, but _math _was a natural talent for the twins.

"Kigai, what is the answer to this problem?"

"57 point 6," Kigai said automatically.

"Thank you."

* * *

_Period Two – Behind the Cafeteria_

Aishi sat against the wall, dialing a phone number into her cell phone.

The phone on the other end rang once before it was picked up.

"What is it, Aishi?" a man's voice said.

"I'm in the school, father," Aishi said, "I've already come into contact with three of the Uchiha brats. What do you want me to do now?"

"Keep watching them," the man said, "Earn their trust, get them to tell you their weaknesses. Make them complacent enough to believe that you aren't a threat. Then attack without mercy."

"Yes, father."

"Remember, Aishi, the Uchihas are the enemy. The Uchihas killed your mother during the last ninja war. Don't let her murderers strike with impunity."

"I understand." With that, Aishi slid her phone shut and settled into a comfortable position to wait for morning break.

* * *

_Morning Break – In a secluded area behind the Library_

"W-we shouldn't be doing this…"

"Relax, Terra, it'll be great!"

"Bakani, hand me the big paintbrush!"

"Here it is!"

"Don't drop it!"

"Agh! I'm all red now!"

"Better than being pink, Ikoji."

"…This is true. Kyo, don't drop the brush next time!"

"Sorry, Ikoji!"

"Boy, you're a klutz, Kyo!"

"Shut up, bakamono!"

"Hey! Don't call me stupid!"

"But you _are _stupid, Manuke! Your name even _means _stupid!"

"Ikoji, how could you?"

_Why am I helping them again? _Tereya wondered as she watched the four friends bicker over who was the bigger idiot.

* * *

_Morning Break – In the Library_

Nodoka, meanwhile, was blissfully unaware of the commotion outside, as she had her headsets on and was listening to Soldier Side by System of a Down while she browsed the internet on one of the library's computers.

She found the school's instant messenger and logged in, finding herself without anything better to do since all of her other sites were blocked. **(A/N: Why is it necessary to block **_**Gaia Online**_**?) **She chose the screen name _bloody_roses_ and logged into the "Anime Nerds" server **(A/N: I wish I was joking. When my school set up its IM, they let Seniors choose the server names)**. No one else had logged onto that server, and she was about to change servers when another screen name, _secret180_, popped up in the roster at the side of the screen.

* * *

_The following is an IM conversation between _bloody_roses _and _secret180_._

secret180: Hi.

bloody_roses: Hi.

secret180: Who are you?

bloody_roses: Who are you?

secret180: I asked first.

bloody_roses: HINT: I'm a girl.

secret180: That's not helpful. Or funny.

bloody­_roses: HINT: I'm wearing red and brown.

secret180: Still not very helpful. That narrows it down to about a hundred students. What class?

bloody_roses: …That depends. What class has the fewest girls-who-are-wearing-brown-and-red?

secret180: Freshmen.

bloody_roses: Oh, then I'm a Junior.

secret180: Really?

bloody_roses: No, I'm just saying that to irritate you. (Sarcastic tone of voice)

secret180: You're a Junior.

bloody_roses: Yes.

secret180: Who is wearing red and brown… what color are your eyes?

bloody_roses: Blue.

secret180: That narrows it down to fifteen students. Do you watch Fruits Basket or Lucky Star?

bloody_roses: No, but I do watch Bleach.

secret180: That's six or seven students… Who's your favorite Bleach character?

bloody_roses: Renji.

secret180: …I'm out of questions (unless you'll answer the hair color question). Who are you?

bloody_roses: Nodoka Kayou (and my hair is purple).

secret180: Cool name. I think I saw you earlier this morning. You're in Spanish 1, right?

bloody_roses: Yah. Ick, you weren't one of the morons who wouldn't shut up during lecture, were you?

secret180: Lol, no. They were grinding my nerves, too.

bloody_roses: What, I don't get any hints?

secret180: No, not today.

bloody_roses: Sthu! When???

secret180: Later.

bloody_roses: Can we talk lunch?

secret180: Sure. What time?

bloody_roses: Whenever we finish eating???

secret180: Alright.

bloody_roses: Same server?

secret180: Yah. I know how to lock it so that only people with the right password can get in.

bloody_roses: What's the password?

secret180: wrath180

bloody_roses: Why do you like the number 180 so much???

secret180: Bye.

_secret180 has signed off_

bloody_roses: Aw, come on!

_bloody_roses has signed off_

_

* * *

  
_

Nodoka logged off of her account and stalked towards the door of the library, just as the first bell rang, muttering about evil people who didn't leave any hints as to who they were. Hisoka watched her leave from one of the magazine racks, grinning as Nodoka accidentally ran into someone.

She was kind of cute when she was irritated…

* * *

_Period 3 – English 2 / Ms. Mastrian _**(A/N: Yes, because my English teacher is so awesome, I won't change her name.)**

"Okay then! For our first essay of the school year, we will be reading _The Fall of the House of Usher_ by the late American author Edgar Allan Poe."

Ms. Mastrian paused and looked kindly at a male student in the back row, who sat with his hand half-raised.

"Yes, Ryo?"

"Uh, yah," Ryo said, "Uhm, what does it mean when someone is 'late'? Did he miss the bus or something?"

Several students snickered. Others rolled their eyes or groaned.

Nodoka, Shinbi, and Hisoka raised their hands; all three had the same my-god-this-kid's-an-idiot look on their faces.

"Nodoka, can you tell us what it means when we say 'the late author Edgar Allan Poe'?"

"It means Edgar Allan Poe is dead," Nodoka said, glaring at Ryo.

"Oh," Ryo said, leering at the girl, "Thanks, smartass."

"You're welcome, you poor, empty-headed piece of animal dung."

"_Oooooooooh!!!"_

_

* * *

  
_

_Period 4 – P.E. / Mr. Taiiku_

"Listen up, maggots! Today's game's gonna be dodgeball! Now go dodge some balls!"

_Twenty minutes later…_

"Terra, duck!"

"Aie!" **(A/N: She's squealing, btw.)**

_Thunk._

"Ow!"

"Terra, I said 'duck', not 'jump'!"

"Gomen, niisan…"

"Never mind. Better luck next time, ne?"

"H-hai…"

* * *

_Lunch – In the Gym…_

"Ikoji, we really shouldn't do this…"

"Relax Terra, it'll be fine! Kyo, hand me the water gun, and don't drop it!"

"Right, here you go!"

"Okay, now we wait for the principal to walk in for lunch."

…

"Fire!"

"Aah-flplplpl!"

"Got him!"

"_Ikoji! Kyo!_"

"Run away!"

"Agh!"

"W-wait for me, guys!"

"This had better not be paint!"

"It is!"

"_You stupid brats!_"

* * *

_Lunch – In the Library…_

Nodoka rushed into the library after downing her lunch in nearly record time. As a backup, she snuck two bags of Flamin' Hot Cheetos®, which were tucked under her regular clothes in her bookbag (She'd already changed for her period 5 P.E. class, also in record time). If she got hungry, she would be able to very sneakily open one of the bags and eat one Cheeto at a time by putting the whole thing in her mouth and sucking on it until it was mushy. **(A/N: Yes, it sounds horrible when you describe it, but it's how I get away with eating in my classes!)**

Nodoka could barely hit the right keys on the keyboard, she was typing so fast. She went straight to the "Anime Nerds" server and logged in. Sure enough, a little box came up asking for a password. She typed it in and entered as _bloody_roses_. Sure enough, _secret180 _was already there, waiting for her…

* * *

**A/N: Gah! I forgot to upload the story last night! Sorry, guys, Wrath isn't feeling too good at the moment (never chug champagne.)**

**Bwahahaha!!! I love cliffhangers! …Unless I'm not the one writing them… Anyway, this chapter was becoming obscenely long (4345 words!), so I decided to end it. Yah, the ending sucks, but oh well. Chapter one is out! Happy New Years, everyone, and feel free to debate over who **_**secret180 **_**is, because I'm not telling and it could be **_**anyone**_**!!!**

**Oh, and the lyrics I used were from "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup.**

**Trivia: All of the names of the teachers (with the exception of Ms. Mastrian) are puns. The pottery teacher's name means "pottery"; the Spanish teacher's name means "domestic and foreign"; the algebra teacher's name can mean "coefficient" "figures" or "numbers"; the P.E. teacher's name can mean "physical education" "gymnastics" or "athletics".**


	2. Emails, Kitties, and Chewbacca?

**Disclaimer: I don't Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would have known the truth about Itachi **_**before **_**he killed his older brother. Stupid Kishimoto-senpai…**

**Chapter Two – Emails and Kitties and... Chewbacca?!**

**

* * *

**

_Now everything is new  
And everything is you  
And all I've learned has overturned  
What can I do..._

* * *

Nodoka could barely hit the right keys on the keyboard, she was typing so fast. She went straight to the "Anime Nerds" server and logged in. A little box came up asking for a password. She typed it in and entered as _bloody_roses_. Sure enough, _secret180 _was already there, waiting for her.

* * *

_The following is an IM conversation between _bloody_roses _and _secret180_._

bloody_roses: Hi.

secret180: That was fast. Were you the one beating the poor keyboard up?

bloody_roses: I was typing that fast, huh?

secret180: Yah.

bloody_roses: …Awkward…

secret180: I don't think so. You're actually really cute when you're irritated or in a hurry.

bloody_roses: Cute as in…?

secret180: You kind of remind me of an angry puppy.

bloody_roses: Uh-huh. So you're an animal lover???

secret180: Maybe.

bloody_roses: Aw, come on! Just one tiny little hint? Please?

secret180: I'm a guy, and I can clearly see you from where I'm sitting.

bloody_roses: That's five people in here…

secret180: Take it easy on the poor keyboard. It's not its fault you're irritated.

bloody_roses: Oops. Sorry keyboard.

secret180: Lol, the librarian is giving you death glares.

bloody_roses: Which one?

secret180: The fat old woman with so many wrinkles that her face looks like loose-fitting cloth.

bloody_roses: There are two women like that. Is she wearing glasses?

secret180: No, although I see what you mean. The one with glasses is a little pudgy.

bloody_roses: I'm getting death-glared-at by Ms. Haggis? **(A/N: I'm sorry; I just had to do that. XD)**

secret180: Lol, is that seriously her name?!

bloody_roses: Yah. I heard a couple of Freshmen kissing up to her on the way in.

secret180: Stfu.

bloody_roses: Lol, chatspeak rules. X3

secret180: What was that, you're psychotic kitty-face?

bloody_roses: Be nice to the kitty-face.

secret180: And if I'm not?

bloody_roses: Kitty-face munna eat choo.

secret180: ????

bloody_roses: (Kitty-face will eat you.)

secret180: Lol.

bloody_roses: Do you hear screaming?

secret180: …Yah, I do. Who the hell is that?!

bloody_roses: I just saw the principal run after three kids.

secret180: Where?

bloody_roses: By the window behind Hisoka.

secret180: Lol, he's staring at you.

bloody_roses: I noticed. Ah! Come out and save me, dammit!

secret180: Save you?

bloody_roses: One of his fangirls tried to eat me this morning.

secret180: You sure it was a fangirl?

bloody_roses: Positive. Plus, he keeps looking at me whenever he's in the same class with me.

bloody_roses: It's really creepy. Ack! He's staring at me again!

secret180: Lol, relax. He does that to all the new students. It's like he thinks he's an alpha dog or something.

bloody_roses: Does that mean he pees on bushes, too?

secret180: What… the fuck…

bloody_roses: I'd turn to see who's laughing, but I think Hisoka's staring at me again.

secret180: "Pees on bushes"? Where did that come from?!

bloody_roses: A story I read on . It's called _The Eccentric Files_, and it's by Ren and Missa. **(A/N: Go read it! Do it… after you finish reading this story…!)**

secret180: Lol, I've gotta find that story.

bloody_roses: Hey, I wonder what Hisoka's typing. Any ideas?

secret180: Probably some essay. Guy's a damn bookworm.

bloody_roses: Hey! I'm a "damn bookworm"! Show some respect! DX

secret180: Sorry.

secret180: Lol, Haggis is glaring again.

secret180: Wow. I didn't think it was possible for her skin to get any paler. Nice job!

bloody_roses: Thank you.

bloody_roses: Damn, that was the bell. Talk tomorrow?

secret180: Sure. Oh, wait. Do you have an email?

bloody_roses: yah, it's dusk_to_dawn

secret180: Cool, then I'll send you an email tonight. Okay?

bloody_roses: Okay. Just one more hint? Please?

secret180: My eyes look black, but they're actually a very dark shade of green.

_secret180 has signed off_

bloody_roses: That narrows it down to two people… hmm…

_bloody_roses has signed off_

* * *

Like last time, Nodoka ran into someone on her way out of the library.

"Ow! Hey, watch where you're – !"

She stopped when she saw that the person she'd run into was Hisoka Uchiha, who regarded her with eyes that were amused, annoyed, and penetrating, all at the same time.

"Er, uhm, never mind, it was my fault anyway," Nodoka stammered, moving towards the door.

Hisoka kept pace with her and leaned to her ear, whispering, "Who were you talking to?"

"No one," Nodoka said, inching away from him.

"Why talk to someone you don't know?" Now Hisoka's lips were turned up in the infamous Uchiha smirk as his eyes bore into Nodoka's.

"Hey," the girl said, "it's better than talking to someone who stares at me all the time." And for the second time that day, Nodoka turned her back to Hisoka and walked away, trying not to walk too fast or too slow.

Hisoka was just a little creepy for her, and she hoped _secret180 _was right about the alpha dog thing.

* * *

_Period Five – P.E. _**/**_ Ms. Jigi _**(A/N: Jigi means "mere child's play")**

"Dodge the ball, Nodoka!" the coach shouted.

"I'm trying to dodge the ball – ow!" Nodoka stumbled as yet another ball hit her in the gut. It really wasn't her fault. For one, the opposing team kept throwing the damn balls too hard, and the balls would either ricochet off the wall behind her and hit her in the head, or fly straight and hit her and the chest or stomach.

Second, why the hell was her team made up almost entirely of jokers and lazy bums?!

_Ten minutes later…_

Nodoka had finally gotten the hang of dodging the flying red missiles the other team kept throwing at her when she noticed Hisoka catch one of the balls Bakani had thrown. While her teammate moaned and complained, Nodoka had just enough time to see Hisoka smirk at her before someone moved in next to her.

"Here it comes," the boy muttered.

"Wha– _ow! _Son of a _gun_, that hurt!"

"Nodoka, take five. You should probably get some ice for your hand."

"Yes, ma'am," Nodoka sighed, glaring at Hisoka before darting out of the gym.

* * *

_Period Five – Computers and Careers _**/ **_Mrs. Johnson _**(A/N: Okay, two people whose names I won't change.)**

"Oh my _god_," Ikoji whined, "This class is _so _boring…" The girl currently had her forehead on the desk and was attempting to drown out the teacher's incessant rambling with music from her new iPod. So far it wasn't working.

"Well, it could be worse." Shinbi, who sat next to Ikoji, was chewing gum and somehow getting away with reading a magazine while the teacher continued to lecture the class about classroom rules and behavior.

"I don't see how." On Ikoji's other side, Atsui sat in a similar style to Ikoji, texting to her sister in P.E.

"Well, we could all get in trouble for goofing off."

"I've already done that twice today."

"Wow, Ikoji. That must be a record or something."

"Nope. My record at the Leaf Academy was fifteen times in one day."

"You have issues."

"The models in that magazine have issues."

"Touché."

Suddenly, in the middle of Mrs. Johnson's lecture, Atsui's cell phone started playing the new-text-message ringtone.

_And people say you dye your hair and wear tight jeans that doesn't mean that you can't scream or like loud noise; you've got a choice you have a voice…_

"Hollywood Undead! That's their song _Knife Called Lust_!" Ikoji yelled triumphantly. **(A/N: Yes, like me, Ikoji is a music nerd.)**

…

"Oops…"

"Shinbi, Ikoji, and Atsui. You're getting referrals."

"Damn you, Ikoji!"

"I vote we kill her after school."

"Meep…"

* * *

_Period Five – At the Uchiha residence…_

"She did _what_?!"

Itachi started awake at the sound of explosions coming from the kitchen. When he heard his wife screaming at someone over the phone, he rolled his eyes and went back to sleep…

_Meanwhile, at the Uzumaki residence…_

"Not again! I was _never _this bad when _I _was her age!"

Actually, Hinata thought Ikoji was the mirror image of her father, but she wasn't about to say that out loud. Naruto might stop getting her ice cream otherwise…

_Meanwhile, at the Hyuga residence…_

"She was doing _what _in her computer careers class?"

Neji very wisely decided to leave the room. Tenten was a little dangerous when her voice got that low and even, and he didn't want to be there when things started spontaneously combusting…

* * *

_Period Six – Biology 1 _**/ **_Mr. Umino _**(A/N: You had to see this coming.)**

"Biology is such a drag."

"Shut up, Netsuki."

"You shut up, Kaimin!"

"Let's just do our homework and go to sleep."

"Okay…"

_Five minutes later…_

"Psst," Nodoka whispered, "Kaimin! Netsuki! Wake up, the teacher's glaring at you guys."

Yawn. "But we're already done with our homework…"

"Are you serious?"

"Yep." Stretch. "See?"

"…Holy crap. Can I copy your answers?"

"Sure. Here you go…"

"Sweet…"

* * *

_Period Six – Behind the Cafeteria again…_

Once again, Aishi was sitting outside, leaned against the wall, eyes closed, waiting for the last bell to ring. She busied herself by listening to the absolute stillness of the campus, broken only by the occasional flock of birds…

"_Aishi~!"_

Well, so much for serenity.

"What?"

"You're skipping too? Oh-em-gee! We can, like, skip together!" Oh dear god, it was Ninkitori. Aishi groaned inwardly and did her best to block out the girl's high-pitched rambling, praying the last bell would ring very, _very _soon…

* * *

_3:25 – End of School – In the school parking lot…_

Nodoka, Kaimin, and Netsuki walked outside together, talking about a birthday party for Ikoji and Tereya. Apparently Kaimin and Netsuki were in charge of planning, but they were so lazy that they spent more time sleeping than planning.

Plus, parties weren't the strong points of either sister; their parents didn't tend to enjoy planning parties, and their father usually didn't even attend most parties. So the older sister, Netsuki, recruited Nodoka to help them out, which she willingly agreed to in exchange for being allowed to copy the answers to her homework assignments off of Netsuki.

The trio was discussing party colors when Nodoka caught sight of Hisoka and his two sisters a couple feet away.

"Oh, snap," she said, "It's Hisoka. Can we go the opposite direction from him? Please?"

"Why?" Kaimin giggled, "He's cute."

"He threw a ball at me in gym. And it made me throw up halfway to the nurse's office," Nodoka whined.

"He does that to everyone," Netsuki commented.

"Even the girls?"

"Well, on accident, maybe, or if they've made him mad."

"Oh crap."

"Yep, you're screwed."

"Oh, gee. Thanks, Kaimin, now I won't be able to sleep tonight. Do either of you know where I can get some mace?

"Nope."

"Not a clue."

"Damn. See you guys tomorrow, then."

"Okay, bye."

"See ya!"

* * *

_After School – Nodoka's home…_

_Well, who cares about Hisoka, anyway? _Nodoka thought to herself as she locked the door to her apartment. She threw her bag and coat on the floor and ran to her laptop. As soon as it was on, she went to her email. Somehow, night_has_fallen had already sent her an email titled "Hi."

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: Hi.

Hi, Nodoka. It's secret180. Do you have Yahoo IM? If you do, I'll get on and wait for you.

If you don't, we can just email back and forth.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Hola.

No, I don't have the IM. Sorry.

So, can I have another hint? I've got it narrowed down to two people.

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: Ciao.

I'm an animal lover. And my favorite animal is any kind of cat or dog.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Aloha.

Still down to two people. What color is your hair?

Backup question #1: Is your skin dark or light?

Backup question #2: Where were you sitting at lunch?

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: Moshimoshi.

Not a fair question.

Backup question #1: Not a fair question.

Backup question #2: Not a fair question.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Goddag.

Oh, come on! That's so not fair!

Fine. Since you won't give me any _helpful _hints, let's talk about music.

Have you heard any songs by an artist called Leonard Cohen?

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: Eh. (Which is French for hello, apparently.)

Lol, you're so cute when you're mad.

Leonard Cohen? Uhm… What are some of his songs?

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Dag.

Broken Hallelujah, First We Take Manhattan, and Everybody Knows.

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: …Okay, you win. I'm out of foreign words for "hello".

Oh! Yah, I've heard Broken Hallelujah and First We Take Manhattan. Those are my favorites.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: I was just typing random words. Do they all seriously mean "hello"?

I know, they're awesome, right?

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: …Wow.

Seriously.

Okay, you don't get to ask any questions, but will you answer some for me?

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Shut up! DX

Uhm, depending on the questions, sure. If you start asking things like what color my underwear is, I'm turning my computer off.

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: N3v3r!

1. What's your favorite food?

2. What's your favorite animal?

3. What's your favorite color?

4. What's your favorite band**/**song?

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: XP

1. Anything spicy.

2. Wolf.

3. Any warm colors.

4. Nightwish**/**"While Your Lips Are Still Red".

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: Lol.

Interesting answers… I'll have to find that song.

1. Fire or Water?

2. Fight or Flight?

3. Revenge or Forgiveness?

4. Love or Hate?

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Rofl.

1. Fire.

2. Flight, unless I can't run.

3. Forgiveness.

4. Love.

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: RoflCOPTER!!!

Cool.

Oh crap. My dad just walked in… with my uncle…

This is embarrassing.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Lmao.

Sucks to be you.

Hey if they're reading this, do you think they'll hijack your computer and tell me who you are?

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: I'm going to hide under a rock now.

Gee, you're so thoughtful.

DON'T GIVE THEM ANY IDEAS!!! Those two are _evil!_

dlfhajkhd,/v.m

He's telling us we can only give you a hint.

He has a cat named Fang. It bites everyone but his sisters and him.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: I'm going to laugh at you.

I know.

Methinks calling them evil wasn't a good idea?

And that's not a very helpful hint…

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: You're so cruel…

I GOTlhl the Keyelyboard bakckkkkkkkkk,/.

OUT!!! OUT, YOU FIENDS!

No more hints! You're so evil, Nodoka…

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Choo like me anyway.

What'd you do, chase them out with a chair?

And I'm aware that I'm evil. It runs in my blood.

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: What the hell is "choo"?

Just about.

It's good that you're aware of that. Acceptance is the first step in recovery.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Choo is you in kitty-face language. X3

Do you really have a cat named Fang? That's… surprisingly adorable…

Isn't acceptance one of the steps to grief, too?

Hang on… there's something scratching at my front door…

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: Ah…

The cat isn't adorable, but I'm glad you find the idea rather cute.

Uhm… Maybe. Are we talking about getting-ready-to-fly-into-a-murderous-rage grief or getting-ready-to-commit-suicide grief?

And just let your parents get the door.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Lol.

I do! I think it's absolutely endearing to have a cat called Fang! It's like having a teddy bear named Chewbacca.

Uhm… those are both highly insane forms of grief… and I mean that literally…

Uhm, my parents are out for the week. They visit my grandparents in the Wind Country a lot. And anyway, I opened your last email after I got the door.

Oh, you won't believe what I found! I opened the door (did you notice it was raining? I sure didn't) and there was this little grey-and-white kitten on the doorstep! She was drenched and looking up at me with these big, pleading yellow eyes…

I went to my neighbors (which took relatively no effort, since I live in an apartment complex), but none of them recognized her.

I have named her Mikiri, and am attempting to see if she will eat some cat food.

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: What the heck…

You have a teddy bear named Chewbacca?

You're right, but both seem like griefs that would stem from acceptance.

Who are your grandparents?

Wow. You're a sucker for cute, fuzzy things, aren't you?

Mikiri? Is the cat male or female? And give it powdered baby formula, not dairy milk.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: You'll get used to it.

Admittedly, yes.

Hm… You have a point… both, probably.

That's highly personal information.

Yeah. It means "forsaken". And she's a girl. What happens if I give her dairy milk? And how would you know how to take care of kittens?

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: Meaning what?

Does it look like Chewbacca?

I win. Ah, sweet victory…

It's better than asking about your underwear.

If you give Mikiri dairy milk, she'll get diarrhea. **(A/N: Oh, how I wish I hadn't learned this the hard way…) **And I happened to raise Fang myself… with a little help from my sisters…

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Good question, mew!

Sort of… He's hairy like Chewbacca…

Okay, so he's a toy sloth bear. I was five when I got him – I was young and foolish.

I'm kind of paranoid. I'd like to keep my family a secret until I know for sure who you are.

You found that out the hard way, huh? No wonder Fang doesn't bite your sisters…

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: What the hell?

A sloth bear?

Fair enough.

Yah, I did. I was on "diaper detail" for two days…

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: I had too much soda today, shut up.

Yah, I sent you a picture.

Thanks.

Lol, that would have been funny to see… Oh wait, I don't know who you are, so I couldn't possibly know that for certain…

Urgh. That's it, I'm assigning you a nickname.

…Just as soon as I can think of one…

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: What are you, a junk food junkie?

…Why do they have to be so damn cute?

You're the devil… Please don't give me a nickname like "Cutie" or "Sir Hot". (Those are my sister's suggestions…)

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Maybe.

Because when they first evolved, they realized cuteness would help their case if they were endangered. That's my theory, anyway. X3

Am not… Look, I even have a halo!

You're sister's the evil one… I think we could be fast friends…

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: Oh come on, I saw you eating those Hot Cheetos in the library.

Wow.

I can see the horns holding the halo up. Which angel did you nick the wings from?

This is why I HAVEN'T told you who I am.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: DON'T JUDGE ME.

What? You got any better ideas?

Alright you caught me. I pwned some random angel and stole her wings. XD

Aww…

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: I wasn't…?

Uhm, maybe the cute looks were a trait they evolved to helpthem find food and survive the weather?

You evil, evil child.

That's right, be sad!

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Oh, never mind then… X3

You basically said the same thing. Loser…

Yah, I know…

Never! I refuse to let you pwn me!

…Oh! I know, I'll call you Secret! (ish feeling so proud of herself)

And Mikiri says "Hi".

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: You're insane…

Alright, fine, you win…

…Okay, you're on a massive sugarhigh right now, aren't you?

Secret, huh? Reasons being…?

Mikiri seriously just talked? I think you have a ninja cat…

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: You like me anyway…

YES!!! I LOVE winning!

Sort of. Is it that obvious?

1. You won't tell me who you are.

2. You won't give me any USEFUL hints.

3. Your screen name in the school chatroom today was _secret180_.

Ninja cat? Are you a druggie or something? Ew, if you are, I'm officially not your friend anymore.

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: True.

No, not at all. You aren't by any chance screaming at your computer because I took so long to email you back, are you?

1. You have very little patience, young padawan.

2. See above; all good things take time… Or some such nonsense…

3. Something tells me you like my screen name… Or else you have absolutely NO imagination…

Yes, ninja cat. You know, like those ninken dogs ninjas use for summons?

And good for you. Druggies are no good for you.

And you didn't answer my question. Can Mikiri seriously talk? Or do you speak fluent cat?

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Crap, how is it already ten?

Uhm… No…

1 and 2: Are you a Star Wars fan, too?

3. I have an inherent interest in all things dark and mysterious… Which is why I have enough patience NOT to scream whenever you refuse to give me hints.

Oh, yah, those things! I didn't know there were ninja cats…

Yes, Mikiri can speak about five words in human. And yes, I speak fluent cat-language (we like to call it Meow-Mix).

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: We've been online a while, huh?

Why don't I believe you?

Yes, I like Star Wars. Jedi are awesome.

What's your star sign, by the way? That might have something to do with the preference for dark and mysterious things…

You're kidding me. Which words can she speak? (Meow-Mix? Are you serious?)

If you're tired, we can stop for tonight. I'll text you tomorrow.

* * *

To: night_has_fallen

From: dusk_to_dawn

Subject: Apparently…

Because you're mean.

Sweet! I'm not a total nerd after all!

Uhm, I don't know. My birthday's November 16?

She can say Hi, Bye, Mouse, Sad, and Happy. I'm trying to teach her Hungry and Litter-box. It'd make it easier to take care of her, you know?

I'm not tired, and I lack the luxury of owning my own cell phone.

* * *

To: dusk_to_dawn

From: night_has_fallen

Subject: Last email, because I AM tired…

Am not.

Yes you are, just like me.

Oh, you're a Scorpio. No wonder you like dark, mysterious things…

Cute.

Talk to you tomorrow at break, okay?

* * *

Nodoka sighed and snapped her computer monitor off. Mikiri, who had been sleeping on her lap, twitched at the noise and then nuzzled her nose into the soft blanket she was wrapped in.

Sleep-heavy footsteps dragged Nodoka to her bedroom, where she barely stayed awake long enough to comb her hair through before climbing in to bed.

When she woke the next morning, Nodoka would have no memory of the strange shadow that sat outside her window, or of the whispered "Sleep well" that seemed to flow into her room on a passing summer breeze…

KRKRKR **(A/N: "Kayou Residence")**

The alarm had time to buzz twice before a hand swiped it off the side table and into the wall across the room. A snarled mass of purple hair covered Nodoka's face as she dragged herself wearily out of bed, careful not to wake Mikiri.

Yawning, Nodoka dragged her way through her morning ritual, slowly becoming more alert as she completed each stage. By the time she was done eating, Nodoka was fully alert, ears and eyes tuned in to every small change in her environment.

Because she wasn't entirely awake before, Nodoka hadn't noticed the white rose lying on her desk until she sat down to do her hair. Now she picked it up and looked curiously at it, wondering who had put it there and why she hadn't sensed the intrusion in her usually light sleep. She knew she hadn't placed it there, since she didn't like buying pre-cut flowers, and couldn't grow flowers due to her innate ability to kill all things made of plant material, including a cactus she had managed to blow up by overwatering it during winter.

_This is creepy. Someone got into my house without my noticing and put this where I would find it… But who?_

………

"Secret!" Nodoka yelled, putting one and one together (she didn't like the number two). Mikiri yelped and fell off the bed.

"Sorry, Mikiri."

Mikiri glared and made a noise that sounded an awful lot like "Ow."

* * *

**A/N: Wee, chapter two is out! (Ish so happy.) Sorry the ending sucks so bad, I got really tired about halfway through the emails. The lyrics I used are from "Lay All Your Love On Me" by Abba (an old but incredibly awesome group).  
**

**Trivia: Nodoka's full name, Nodoka Kayou, means "quiet song".**


End file.
